Full length article Smartphone habit and behavior in Brunei: Personalization, gender, and generation gap M. Anshari * , Y. Alas, G. Hardaker, J.H. Jaidin, M. Smith, A.D. Ahad Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Centre for Lifelong Learning, Brunei Darussalam article info Article history: Received 28 October 2015 Received in revised form 28 July 2016 Accepted 31 July 2016 Keywords: Smartphone Personality Habit Behavior Generation gap Gender Brunei abstract A smartphone is a device which offers advanced technologies, functions similarly to a computer, supports multitasking and makes it easy to remain connected with others. The following survey design research examined the usage patterns of smartphone users across different demographics. The results of this study provide insights into the prevalence of respondents’ usage of smartphones and their habits and behavior related to smartphone use itself especially among the younger generation of social disorders such as nomophobia and phubbing. In addition to documenting the experience of smartphone users, the research also examines personality patterns related to smartphone usage, the trends of different age groups, and the effects of gender preferences. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction A smartphone is more than just a mobile phone that you can use to make and receive calls. It is an essential component in our daily lives (Lenhart, 2012). As our lifestyles become more complex smartphones are changing the way we live, study, think and communicate (Lane & Manner, 2011; Woodcock, Middleton, & Nortcliffe, 2012). We need speed, quality and effectiveness and we want to be able to carry these features in our pockets. The in- vention of the smartphone has brought many changes to our daily lives, work tools, and learning processes for the users (Lee, Chang, Lin, & Cheng, 2014). One of the most important features of smart- phones is internet connectivity, which enables 24/7 connectivity through either a mini browser or apps for countless purposes, including searching for information, connecting to a social network, or downloading music, videos and related content (see Fig. 1). People rely on smartphones on a daily basis, from doing work to catching up on social networks (Novo-Corti & Barreiro-Gen, 2015). What makes a smartphone an essential device for daily life is that the applications it offers are on par with the elements of a com- puter, but are said to be better due to the durability and compact feature of the smartphone (Tossell et al., 2012). The smartphone is an upgraded version of a traditional phone comprising the func- tions of calling and messaging but at the same time carries many devices such as a calculator, a personal digital assistant, an address book, a music player and a camera all in one handheld device (Himmelsbach, 2013; Novo-Corti & Barreiro-Gen, 2014). Digital mobility and connectivity grow more important every day. Con- sumers keep their mobile devices nearby, check them frequently, and occasionally use multiple devices at once (Salehan & Negahban, 2013; Wu & Wang, 2005; Wu, Wang, & Tai, 2004). However, what do they actually click on, where do they use their devices and for how long do they spend on them? Answers to these questions would provide valuable input to a number of stake- holders including retailers and government agencies. The aim of this research, therefore, is to establish the correla- tions between smartphone activities and individual habits and behavior, gender preference, and different age groups. We surveyed 589 voluntary individuals to see how they used their smartphones to access the mobile web and mobile apps. We also asked them questions about how they use and view mobile devices in their lives. The study shows that smartphone habits may result in * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: anshari.ali@ubd.edu.bn (M. Anshari), yabit.alas@ubd.edu.bn (Y. Alas), glenn.hardaker@ubd.edu.bn (G. Hardaker), halida.jaidin@ubd.edu.bn (J.H. Jaidin), mark.smith@ubd.edu.bn (M. Smith), annie.ahad@ubd.edu.bn (A.D. Ahad). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers in Human Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.063 0747-5632/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Computers in Human Behavior 64 (2016) 719e727